T-Pain, Keys Rock BET Awards : Pimp C Remembered

T-Pain transformed the BET Awards into a circus Tuesday with a multi-artist medley that showed the rapper and singer's wide-ranging influence on urban music, while best-selling rapper Lil Wayne and songstress Alicia Keys gave rousing performances of their own.Wearing a spangled top hat, T-Pain — nominated for a leading five BET Awards — shared the stage with fellow nominees Flo Rida, Rick Ross, Ludacris and Big Boi, along with a bevy of big-top freaks, including fire eaters and acrobats.

Not to be outdone, the ladies offered a showstopping performance of their own, led by double nominee Keys. Rocking a sleek bob and skintight jeans, Keys invited vintage girl groups SWV, En Vogue and TLC to join her onstage for a medley of their biggest hits. By the time they closed with TLC's "Waterfalls," the crowd at the Shrine Auditorium was on its feet. Even Kanye West was singing along.Viewers Choice award winner Lil Wayne was set to deliver the night's most anticipated performance, and he didn't disappoint. Joined by uber-collaborator T-Pain, who wore a t-shirt that read "T-Wayne," Lil Wayne delivered a medley of hits including "A Milli" and his No. 1 smash "Lollipop."

West, who won awards for best male hip-hop artist and best collaboration for his song with T-Pain, "Good Life," used his victories to praise both T-Pain and Lil Wayne."We're blessed to be in this man's presence," West said of T-Pain, whom he called "a genius." "I'll let y'all know because I'm one of the kings of this game. My opinion counts."West called Lil Wayne "my fiercest competition." The New Orleans-based rapper last week sold 1 million copies of "Tha Carter III" for the year's best sales debut.BET named The Dream this year's Best New Artist, while Marvin Sapp won Best Gospel Artist.Alicia Keys, the only female winner who was in the house tonight, was named Best Female R&B Artist, and took the opportunity to let the moment sink in.

A somber moment came when UGK was named best group. Bun B honored his fallen bandmate, Pimp C, who died in December at age 33 from complications of sleep apnea."It's hard to do this with my brother not being here," Bun B said, while joined onstage with Pimp C's wife. "We want to thank y'all for supporting UGK all these years. It's still UGK for life... Long live Pimp C."Usher opened the show pyrotechnics-filled performance as he sang "Love in this Club." The highly choreographed set, which featured Usher pop-locking, gyrating and grooving his way across the stage with a bevy of voluptuous dancers, gave the show a high-energy start.Well-deserved honors were also handed out to prolific producer Quincy Jones and Motown icon Al Green, whose most recent album, Lay It Down, earned the renowned soul singer his first Top 10 slot on the Billboard 200 since 1973.